A few extra hours: Army Reserve Soldier talks about what it costs to gain leadership skills
Maj. Phillip Larmond has one of the most demanding part-time jobs in the United States Army Reserve. As the Executive Officer (XO) for the US Army Reserve's 373rd Combat Support Sustainment Battalion in Beaumont, TX, his responsibilities require a little more than the traditional 'one weekend a month and two weeks a year.’ In this role, he must exercise command in the battalion commander's absence and serve as the senior member of the battalion's staff, but he is okay with that. "Being an XO is challenging because you have to balance managing staff and handling Soldier issues," Larmond says, "but it's all made me a better leader, lawyer, and small business owner.”